April 3, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern cheerleader Katherine Brown (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North) has been named one of 16 Division I finalists for the Sears Directors' Cup Postgraduate Scholarship, as announced by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
Brown graduated from NU's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences following the winter quarter with a major in economics and a minor in business institutions. She completed her degree requirements a quarter ahead of schedule while maintaining a 3.83 GPA. Brown intends to further her education by entering law school in the fall of 2002 at Columbia, UCLA or USC.
The $5,000 scholarship is awarded to four students from each NCAA division who are members of the athletic support staff, which includes academic support, athletic trainers, band members, equipment room managers, facility managers, sports information assistants and student coaches.
To be eligible for the scholarship, the NACDA requires students to have a minimum 3.0 GPA, have senior status, have demonstrated leadership qualities on an institutional or community level and have played an active role in one of the support categories.
Brown took on a strong leadership role with the 2001-02 Northwestern cheerleading squad, in addition to being an active member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Women's Fraternity and holding a part-time job throughout college. A transfer student from Truman State University, Brown also quickly became active with the Transfer Student Transition Team at NU.
"Transferring to Northwestern was the best decision I ever made," Brown said. "Being a cheerleader made my experience so positive. It was a wonderful opportunity."
"Katherine is dependable, reliable and always helps bring the squad together during a long, tough season," said NU cheerleader coordinator Sarah Agne. "She stepped up this season and really motivated the squad."
Brown credits her pre-law classes at Northwestern with affirming her decision to continue her education. She also stated that the undergraduate background in economics will provide her with a broad knowledge base for law school.